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How to Write an Effective Cover Letter

April 19th, 2017

Writing a good cover letter is important. It is another opportunity you have to sell yourself to the employer, to show the employer what value you can add, how you can impact the bottom line.

So, take the time to put together a good one. If by chance you are wondering whether it is even worth including one, you should. Not submitting one will send a signal that you don’t care that much about the job or that you are not energetic enough to write one.

Here are some things you need to do to make sure your cover letter will pass muster.

1. Tailor it to the company.
One size definitely does not fit all. You need to adapt your letter to the company that you are writing to. you cannot just write one generic letter and send it to different firms.

You should base your letter on the research that you have done about the company. The research should tell you what kinds of things are important to the firm, what skills and qualities they are looking for, and this in turn should help you in writing your letter. You will know what direction to take, what to emphasize and focus on.

The cover letter enables you to show your personality, to let the company see the person behind the work history. It is an opportunity to show your eagerness and desire for the job.

2. Respond to important questions.
These are questions that usually crop up in your resume but are not answered there. For instance, are there any gaps in your work history? Your cover letter gives you the chance to address these issues. Or maybe your background doesn’t exactly match what the company is looking for in the job description. You can explain in the cover letter why your background fits the requirements for the job.

Or maybe you switched careers at some point and you want to talk about why you did that. Or maybe you have a hobby or some other interests that are relevant to the job. You can expand on those in the cover letter as well.

3. Make sure you proofread the cover letter.
You need to check for spelling and grammatical errors or artless constructions. Make sure your writing and explanations are clear and easy to understand.

If you are looking for work in the Anchorage area, you need to contact Opti Staffing. Opti will work with you to evaluate your unique skills, knowledge, and experience to find a job that fits your background. Give Opti Staffing a call today.